Former Hagan’s Bar in Dungannon to start new beginning next week

One of Dungannon’s best known bars will reopen next week after a major refurbishment.

The Blackthorn Tavern is a new beginning for a premises known to many generations as Hagan’s Bar, which first opened at Irish Street in 1969.

However, the family-owned bar was sold last year to Magherafelt-based company 1 Oak Leisure Ireland.

The pub has been closed since January for the refurbishment and is set to reopen on Friday, March 14.

The investment, which will see the creation of around 20 new jobs, is a huge boost for Dungannon’s economy.

1 Oak Leisure Ireland director Nicky Wright has revealed that, after five decades as Hagan’s, the name of the bar will change to The Blackthorn Tavern.

“We’re investing significantly to breathe fresh life into this much-loved venue,” said Nicky. “The plans look amazing, work is now well under way and I’m sure our regular customers will be delighted when we re-open as The Blackthorn Tavern.

“We don’t want to give too much away at this stage but I can reveal that we’ll be giving the venue a full traditional bar re-fit and creating a new beer garden outside. We’ll be open seven days a week, offering great food, live music and, of course, lots of craic.

“We are very proud of our venue’s past and we embrace that, but now we’re looking forward to continuing its proud legacy in the future,” she added.

“Our loyal customers can expect to see the same smiling faces that they’ve been familiar with for years, only in fantastic new surroundings that we hope will continue to bring people together and pave the way for a new generation of memories for Dungannon,” concluded Nicky.

1 Oak Leisure Ireland opened its first entertainment venue, TIME Bar & Venue, in Cookstown in 2012 and now operates a total of eight venues in Northern Ireland, including The 40 Thieves, Fox & Fiddle, Cherry Tree, Long Mile and Clubland in Cookstown, The Harp and Fiddle in Strabane, and The Black Sheep in The Loup.